Split’s the difference: Young Spurs put away Portland

There were times last season when Tiago Splitter might have wanted to leave. Just pack his bags, turn in his passport and return to Spain, where he was an MVP, as opposed to San Antonio, where he was a mess.

Injured for most of his rookie year, and flat out of sync for the rest of it, there were times last season when Splitter wondered what he was doing in the NBA at all.

And he probably wasn’t the only one.

“You start to think you’ve forgotten how to play basketball,” Splitter said.

Game by game in his second NBA season, and most recently in the Spurs’ slump-busting 99-83 victory over Portland on Friday, the game seems to be coming back to Splitter.

Splitter scored nine of his 14 points in the third quarter, his 6-foot-11 frame standing at the heart of a rally that took the Spurs from teetering on the brink of yet another loss to the Trail Blazers to a resounding victory.

With the win, just their second against Portland since Feb. 25 2009, the Spurs ran their home record to 8-0 this season, their best start at the AT&T Center since opening 2007-08 with 13 in a row.

“I thought we earned it,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, whose team is 5-2 since Manu Ginobili went down with a broken hand.

The Spurs (8-4) earned it despite a season-high 23 turnovers — including 10 in the first quarter — and 29 points from Portland forward LaMarcus Aldridge. They won with a mixture of youth and solid bench play, prerequisites for success in this lockout-compacted season.

Reserve swingman Danny Green had eight of his 13 points in the second quarter to help the Spurs transform a turnover-plagued start into a 50-47 halftime lead. Rookie Kawhi Leonard had nine of his 11 in the fourth to help keep Portland (7-4) at bay.

In between, the Spurs turned to a once-overwhelmed Brazilian to help steady the ship in the third quarter, at precisely the moment it appeared to be sinking.

The Spurs managed just one basket in the first 7:19 of the second half, going 1 for 9 with four turnovers as Portland eked out a 57-52 edge. Splitter broke the scoring drought with a free throw at the 4:50 mark, then — after Tim Duncan rebounded a miss of the second foul shot — found himself posted on the smaller Nicolas Batum.

Recognizing the mismatch, Splitter called for the ball, spun quickly and finished a layup. A bucket-and-a-foul against Gerald Wallace followed, then another free throw.

“It’s just about confidence,” said Splitter,who made all five of his shot attempts Friday.

Somewhere in Splitter’s third quarter, which also included a block of Wallace and a nifty assist to Tony Parker, his teammates began to see a player they’d been longing to meet.

“He reminded me of when he was in Vitoria,” Parker said, referring to the Spanish League club for whom Splitter was MVP in 2009-10.

For Splitter, nights like Friday arrive from a blend of patience and opportunity. Besieged by injury, the former first-round draft pick appeared in just 60 games a rookie.

“He has the exact same skills he had last year,” Popovich said. “He’s just healthy, and he’s playing.”

Even through the struggles, Parker said he never doubted Splitter could be a contributor. He compared Splitter’s learning curve to that of Fabricio Oberto, an afterthought of a rookie in 2005-06 who went on to start for the Spurs’ 2007 title team.

“I knew Tiago was going to play a lot better this year, because he proved it in Europe,” said Parker, who scored 12 of his team-leading 20 points in the fourth. “If he played great in Euroleague, there’s no reason he doesn’t play great here.”

Spurs' Tiago Splitter (22) goes up for a shot against Portland Trailblazers' Chris Johnson (17) in the second half at the AT&T Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Splitter added 14 points off the bench. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net less

Spurs' Tiago Splitter (22) goes up for a shot against Portland Trailblazers' Chris Johnson (17) in the second half at the AT&T Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Splitter added 14 points off the bench. Spurs ... more

Spurs' Kawhi Leonard (02) goes low for a shot against Portland Trailblazers' LeMarcus Aldridge (12) in the second half at the AT&T Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin ... more

Photo: SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

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Spurs' Tim Duncan (left) tries to regain control of the ball against Portland Trailblazers' Kurt Thomas (40) in the second half at the AT&T Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net less

Spurs' Tim Duncan (left) tries to regain control of the ball against Portland Trailblazers' Kurt Thomas (40) in the second half at the AT&T Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, ... more

Spurs' James Anderson (25) dunks over Portland Trailblazers' Chris Johnson (17) and Luke Babbitt (08) in the second half at the AT&T Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin ... more

Photo: SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

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Spurs' Gary Neal (14) pushes the ball upcourt against Portland Trailblazers' Elliot Williams (09) in the second half at the AT&T Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Neal had a bandage on his head from an off-court injury. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net less

Spurs' Gary Neal (14) pushes the ball upcourt against Portland Trailblazers' Elliot Williams (09) in the second half at the AT&T Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Neal had a bandage on his head from an ... more

Photo: SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

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Spurs' Kawhi Leonard (02) clears out Portland Trailblazers' LeMarcus Aldridge after stealing the ball from Aldridge in the second half at the AT&T Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net less

Spurs' Kawhi Leonard (02) clears out Portland Trailblazers' LeMarcus Aldridge after stealing the ball from Aldridge in the second half at the AT&T Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Spurs defeated the ... more

Photo: SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

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Spurs' Tim Duncan (center) greets teammates DeJuan Blair (left) and Danny Green (right) at a timeout in a game against Portland Trailblazers in the second half at the AT&T Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net less

Spurs' Tim Duncan (center) greets teammates DeJuan Blair (left) and Danny Green (right) at a timeout in a game against Portland Trailblazers in the second half at the AT&T Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. ... more

Photo: SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

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Spurs Silverdancers perform during a timeout in a game against the Portland Trailblazers in the second half at the AT&T Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net less

Spurs Silverdancers perform during a timeout in a game against the Portland Trailblazers in the second half at the AT&T Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin Man ... more

Photo: SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

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Spurs Silverdancers perform during a timeout in a game against the Portland Trailblazers in the second half at the AT&T Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net less

Spurs Silverdancers perform during a timeout in a game against the Portland Trailblazers in the second half at the AT&T Center on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. Spurs defeated the Trailblazers, 99-83. Kin Man ... more